Military

During the Cold War, the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used animals such as ravens, pigeons and cats to perform tasks, including carrying small pieces of equipment or listening in on covert conversations. The CIA spent a goodly sum in the 1960s retrofitting felines surgically in order to spy on foreign officials. The program was called Operation Acoustic Kitty and it was classified as top secret.

A:Drone strikes are air-to-ground attacks fired from unmanned aerial vehicles instead of manned aircraft. These have the advantage of allowing the military to project force without putting pilots at risk from anti-aircraft fire. Drones are stealthy remote-controlled vehicles that can remain airborne for long periods before attacking their targets.

A:In both the United States and the United Kingdom, female soldiers are simply called soldiers. In 2013, female soldiers in the United States were officially granted the ability to participate in combat, removing any distinctions between them and male soldiers.

A:A member of the Army Special Forces receives the same basic pay as other active duty soldiers. Based on 2014 pay tables, for less than two years of service, basic pay is $18,378 annually for a private (E1), $26,172 for a Sergeant (E5) and $34,862 for a Second Lieutenant (O1).

A:ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps, which is a program that allows college students to prepare for life in the military as an officer, while earning a college degree at the same time. Candidates learn how to lead others and conduct missions as a military officer at ROTC.

A:Seventy-three countries have some form of conscription or mandatory military service, including Austria, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Russia, and the United States. The rules vary greatly between countries.

A:Spy dust is a substance that can be used to track the movements of anyone who touches it. It was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s, and they applied it to door knobs, car floor mats and other surfaces to track the movements of Americans living in Moscow. Once someone touched the substance, they would smear it on every subsequent surface they touched.

A:Common features found inside a submarine include navigational equipment, a GPS station and a periscope. The interiors of submarines can vary greatly, depending in part on the type of submarine under discussion.

A:According to Veteran Tributes, General Douglas MacArthur is the most decorated solider of all time. MacArthur served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in the 1930s and played a vital role in World War II.

A:Although all branches of the United States military are difficult, the hardest military branch is likely the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marines. Several military reports have data showing that Marine training is the toughest among the military disciplines. The number of injuries among Navy recruits is higher compared to that of recruits in other military branches.

A:As of 2014, the distinction of the fastest fighter jet in the world is shared between the MiG-31E Fighter and the MiG-25 Foxbat which have a top speed of Mach 2.83. Both fighter jets were developed by the Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG."

A:The United States Air Force does not restrict personal relationships with unaffiliated civilians, but it does have strict rules against fraternization amongst members. This especially applies to relationships between officers and enlisted members.

A:Military camouflage works by using disruptive patterns, which involve broken-up patterns and contrasting colorings, to make it harder for the human eye to recognize edges or shapes of the object being disguised. It is modeled after animal patterns and colored to match the region of use.

A:The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is actually a collection of tombs in Arlington National Cemetery. The tomb under that of the large white sarcophagus is the term of the first unknown soldier buried there in 1921. There are also tombs of another soldier from World War I, a World War II soldier, a Korean War soldier and a Vietnam soldier.

A:The most common hypothetical scenario for World War III involves a nuclear war that is devastating to much of the Earth. Traditionally, this war has been imagined to occur between the United States and Russia, formerly the Cold War enemy of the United States when Russia was a part of the Soviet Union. Historically, the world came closest to an actual World War III during the Cuban missile crisis.

A:Marines, like other members of the U.S. Armed Forces, earn a monthly salary based on their time in service, rank, and special qualifications and duties. As of 2014, a new enlisted recruit makes $1531.50 per month, and a midshipman or ROTC candidate makes $1,017 monthly.